St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-24
Some Curious Things Observed by a
Well-Known Correspondent in
Superstitisus Brittany.
The Peculiar Practices of Pardoaing
the People and ShoWeriEg Bless
iHgs Upon the Animals.
a Religious Cutting III an Old French
Proyinee---IgneranGe Prevails
Among the Masses.

in the heart of their land, to study peo-
pie whom knew to be pious, and whom
found to be exceedingly Superstitious,
and so / asked my good laadlady at the
Hotel de Bretagne-she was born in
Finistere-Where | had better go, and
she said: Go to Auray Or to Quiinper."
! went to them both. and thence through
Redon came to this seaport town on the
river Loire. 1t was drizzing lightly
when the train pulled out from Oman.
AT 10 o'clock we arrived at little vii
lage. and. us II was Sunday, the church
bell was ringing loudly. From the
train | could see the congregation as
sembling slowly. The women wore
white plated caps, with great wings
to them, not unlike those carried by
Sisters of Charity. They all had prayer
books under their arms, and they did
not Iinger outside, as did the men, who,
before going into the church. paid visit
to little tavern across the way, where,
10 DOUBT, they drank several glasses of
clear, sour cider, favOrite beverage III
Brittany. For my part, prefer wine
to cider. The latter seems to me mel
ancholy sort Of drink, and certainly all
these BretonS had, as they came out of
the cabaret. Il serious, gloomy, almost
SaceHotal expression on their rugged,
SunbGrnt faces, says Henry Haynie in
his Nantes letter to the Boston Herald.
AT II O'Clock we passed through Plan
cnet. and at noon arrived at Lambelle,
where / breakfaSted III an inn opposite
the station. 4 few army officers, two or
three country gentlemen and nice
looking old priest were my cOmpan-
ions ut the table d'hOte. Here is the
menu Of that days dejeuner: Soup,
tripe. beeTSteak and potatoes, string
beans. roast mutton with salad. tart and
cheese. fruit. Five courses, as you see.
not counting cntremetS and dessert, and
all for f.. cider included. The CONVEX
satiOE during the meal was principally
about horses and hunting dogs. ST
BrleUc MRS our next stopping place.
There the train filed up, and a number
OF extra third class ears were added to
it for the accommodation of peasants,
who were waiting at the station in great
numbers. Very few town folk were in
the crowd. but [ noticed some hand
Somely dressed young ladies carrying
prayer books, also dozen or so priests,
who, after securing places i'll second
class compartments. called out to the
woman at tire newspaper stand for the
Paris journals.
From St. Brieuc to Array the road
runs through q deSolate, monOtOnOuS
country: moi a village is to be seen.
nothing but great sandy moor, over
grown with gorse, with here and there
poor Titled cleared patch where wheat
or oats had made Dretense of growing
AT long intervals | saw a church Spire.
way off on the horizon; or. nearer at
hand a tumble-down farm house sur
Il Il HI # -,
Pontivy
THERE WAS A RUSH FROM TIE TRAIN
for two inns near by the station. Each
family had come provided with basket
OF provisions, composed of thick slices
OF Fat bacon and SauSageS; but all went
to the taVernS for cider, and those who
had not brought food with them dined
off Of cold meats, generally mutton and
veal outlets. At I o'clock we reached
Auray. where l found the station,
streets and hotels full Of peasants, who
had been arriving all DAY from every
direction. by train and by road, in spite
OF rain and mud, and [ heard Mon
SeigneUr Place comment with some pride
on the fact that Dret0n6 were not afraid
OF getting wet when they had any re-
ligious duty TO accomplish. The little
town was very animated that evening,
and 1t was easy to see that something
extraordinary was going on. | had ar
rived in time to assist at torchligit
procession inside church but as il was
five miles distant. | had to resort to
many ruses and little bribery before [
succeeded III securing an ancient four
wheeled cabriolet and man to drive
tie horse hitched to it. 1t was O'Clock
when we started, and the rain fell
heavily at frequent intervals. Every
few yards we overlook groups of men,
women and children tramping, cheer
fully along through the mud and sing
ing local songs. Presently the crowd
became dense; | saw a long line
of lighted stands, and. in another
minute, was set down at the church
door. This stood wide open, and the
church was already densely packed
with people up the nave to the altar.
This procession. as it is called. seemed
to me more like a merry, jOvial prone
made than a religious ceremony. All
advanced without any sort of order, al
though there were a number of sur
pliced priests about the entrance who
tried to marshal the people after
fashion. Each man, woman and child
carried in one hand a lighted candle.
protected by paper shade, and held
in the other little book from which
they sang: but as there was no leader.
anu as no two groups were singing the
same verse. the discord they made was
terrible. As far as could make out.
the hymn was an appeal to the Virgin
to protect France in general, and
Brittany in particular, from the wiIes
OF Satan; while along with this were
mingled local jokes and illusions,
After advancing up the nave to the
altar, and then marching around the in
terror of the church. the procession
passed out through a side door to the
cloiSter. where it was dispersed. There
were soldiers among the Spectators. and
one of these blew cut the candle of
pretty peasant girl as she passed him.
Thi caused a laugh, and his example
was initiated by others, but it was done
good-naturedly and was received i'm the
same spirit. The church was lighted
with chandeliers. hung in every posi-
bic place. and it goes without SAYING
that the high altar was also brilliantly
illuminated. Later on all the benches
were occupied 10y peasants of both sexes,
who evidently intended passing the
night there. Others seated themselves
o. the ground at the foot OF the col
umns and were soon fast asleep; others
took possession of the confessi0nals, and
saw an old fellow calmly
SLEEPING IN THE BISHOPS CHAIR.
All these poor people were evidently
worn out by long days tramp, and
now proposed taking good nights rest
before starting back for their distant
homes. There was nothing about the
scene which gave me the impression of
religious fervor: there was none of the
ardent faith of Spaniards. nor of the
wild bigotry of Mussulmans: it was SIM
ply gathering of country folk assem-
bled in search of day IS relaxation from
toll in the fields, and. who would, so it
seemed to me, have gone quite as will
ingly to fair or TO a market; ut.beIng
Bretons, the religious idea predomi-